Hyperbolicity criterion for periodic solutions of functional-differential equations with several delays (Q2519246)

This paper deals with a nonlinear functional differential equation of the form \[ x'(t)=f(x(t),x(t-r_1), \dots, x(t-r_n)), \] where \(f:\mathbb{R}^{n+1}\to \mathbb{R}\) is continuously differentiable and \(r_i>0\) are rational with \(r_i<r_{i+1}\). Some new necessary and sufficient conditions are obtained for the hyperbolicity of periodic solutions of the considered system. The discussions are divided into rational case and irrational case according to the periods of periodic solutions. Particularly, a constructive proof of the existence of a rational approximation is given for an arbitrary periodic solution with an irrational period.